travel

Note: Great tips here! If you want individual help with your homeschool, be sure to read the last line to find out how to reach Donna for a free one-on-one get acquainted call! ~ Christiane Marshall

“The first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell it.” –Rudyard Kipling

Whether you’re traveling for fun or business it’s going to take a little extra planning and packing when you add children to the mix. If Dad and Mom are working parents, entrepreneurs or employees, you’ve got to travel like a pro. By focusing in on important items and being well organized as well as prepared, your trip will be fully enjoyed. Here are a few tips on how to bring it all together and travel smart so there’s plenty of time for fun and exploration.

Have all your travel plans and schedules well prepared. Prior to traveling be sure you’re signed up for frequent flyer programs to maximize all your travel. Do this ahead of time so you don’t have to do it in the busy airport. Also have your travel days calendared. Note what days are for traveling and if there are any days you have to be at meetings when combining work and pleasure. Then you can plan the rest of the time for fun and recreation.

If you’re traveling for vacation only, be sure you have done as much work ahead of time or have it covered so you don’t have to work while on family vacation. Use technology wherever possible to get the work done for you while you’re at the beach playing with the kids. Contact anyone who’d you would like to meet while in the area and plan a lunch or even shared family-to-family time.

Pack it all, pack it light. It’s easy to pile on the stuff when it comes to children so take into consideration what you will really need. So many times I have over-packed only to carry it home again unused. If you’re anywhere that has access to a washer and dryer you will be able to pack lighter. For the little ones, you’ll have to pack extra changes of clothing in case anything gets soiled.

Work with your children well before the trip and make lists of what to take. Have each child prepare his own list, then moms or dads go over the list and talk about what might be missing. Depending on your child’s age, have them pull everything from their list and make a stack then have you review it to be sure nothing is forgotten. Pack it together or do a quick check once it’s in the bag.

Pack one bag of toiletries that can be shared. Personal items can be placed in each child’s personal bathroom bag such as toothbrush or hairbrush. Each family member can be responsible for their own book bag of goodies they want to bring such as books, puzzles, games, decks of cards, paper for drawing, snacks and a water bottle. Remember to include in your suitcase your cell phone charger, laptop wires and other device chargers.

Lighten your load and go paperless. There are travel management sites like TripIt.com you can use to access all of your travel information for your flight, car, hotel, etc. You can also use a program such as Evernote.com to store any additional information you may need while away. This way you can access it from your smartphone, laptop, tablet or just about anything you have that can access the internet. If you’re bringing your work with you Evernote.com is a fabulous tool that allows you to put all those files online so you can access them from anywhere, anytime.

Now you don’t have to carry so much in your bags. If you like to read a lot consider bringing an e-reader along rather than a stack of books. I love my Kindle and look forward to loading stacks of books on it for plenty of beachside reading and tanning. Remember, packing light will help you have more energy by not wearing you down.

Explore educational options. Take plenty of time before your trip to gather information about your destination. Contact the chamber of commerce or the state departments of tourism. Are there any historical sites, museums, zoos, national parks, factory tours, performing arts, music and visual arts, education centers or local attractions?

Check out books from your local library or do research online about the history of where you’re going. Can you learn a foreign language or even popular words if it’s a shorter trip? Be sure you take along addresses and stamps to mail postcards. Even though we are using GPS or smartphones to navigate, we will get a map and show the children the route and talk about geography along the way. Take along nature journals, cameras, video cameras and journals to document the trip.

Set up home away from home. Is there anything light you can bring from home to help you feel more at home, especially if you’re taking a long trip? Examples: your personal pillow, a small blanket or a candle. Be sure to include in your packing any medications, remedies and a first aid kit.

Choose a hotel, suite or even rental condo or house where you have room for everyone including a small refrigerator and even a way to cook simple meals. This will help keep the children happy and healthy, having a few meals cooked at “home away from home” rather than eating out the whole time. Be sure to bring favorite foods and snacks or locate a local store as you travel that carries these items.

Remember to make it fun and take time to relax. If that means just lying around and not being on the run the whole time, then enjoy it. That is what vacations are for, taking it easy. Enjoy the simplified living and know you will return refreshed and rejuvenated.

“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” –Lao Tzu

Parents Inspired to Action:

Review the list above and create your own personal travel checklists.

Get a map and chart your course early so you can gather information ahead of time and plan educational activities to do together as a family.

Make your list of items to buy before the trip and get them well in advance so packing and trip preparation can all go smoothly.

Children Inspired to Action:

Plan a trip with your children. If it’s for fun, choose a destination together. It’s a good idea to include them in all the research before you commit to a particular location.

Help your children create their own checklists for packing. Let them include a couple of their own personal items.

What can you have your children do to help you prepare for the trip? Older children can concentrate on more involved tasks or take responsibility in helping younger siblings.

Wondering how you can incorporate the guidance of a mentor to get the results you’re looking for in your own homeschool and life?

What do you need specifically to get the results you want? What can you let go of and what do you need to keep in your homeschool and everyday living? I know it’s important to you to be sure all your bases are covered.

If you would like a more systematic approach with the details to help you produce real change fast, I recommend setting up a “Get Acquainted Call with Donna.” Send an email with “Get Acquainted Call with Donna” in the subject line and you’ll be scheduled for a free one-on-one with me. Email:support@donnavailinternational.com

And there is always a reason to visit the U.S. oasis, Puerto Rico. Always.

Next time, you’ll want to stay at the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino. No more than 15 minutes from the San Juan Airport, the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino is nestled in the definitive Puerto Rico location, the Condado beach area. Located at 309 Ashford Avenue in San Juan, the hotel serves as ground zero for all things Puerto Rico.

Fall in love all over again with Puerto Rico with help from resort staff who “get it.” If your hotel package comes with breakfast, expect to be greeted by a staff member dedicated to making your mornings exceptional. He or she will present breakfast with a smile and suggestions on where to spend the upcoming day. Should you choose to stay on the property, there’s always the in-pool bar, equipped with barstools in the water. If you’re lucky enough to stay through week’s end, enjoy the salsa band playing at the bar!

Image: Pixabay

Check in and head straight to the ocean via a corridor of sorts. The hotel has a pool entrance fit enough for any movie script. If pool chairs and cabanas could talk, they would say “come on in, the water’s perfect!” They would also have the perfect rum-infused cocktail on deck, but you’ll have to settle for a bartender preparing one for you in real time. Poor you.

I appreciated being able to go outside the front doors and walk to restaurants; it’s just a short walk, too. You can also walk a few feet to catch the local bus to Old San Juan, where authentic cooking and historic monuments await. If you need anything while staying here, the hotel staff and management are very friendly and efficient.

Got kiddos? Send them to camp to keep them busy while you give yourself permission have a little fun of your own, regardless of what that would entail: tanning, swimming or food and drink-hopping.

For those like me who must be near a Walgreens at all times, there is a store located within walking distance. Same goes for Starbucks. But eat at the hotel as there is a buffet that will fill your belly for the entire day.

The stats:

525 newly upgraded guest rooms and suites.

Rated best hotel location in San Juan on Tripadvisor.com.

Impressive ocean views with an oceanfront pool.

Choose from a variety of gaming options at the onsite Stellaris Casino.

Spa and restaurants (including a night club!) included, so there is no need to leave the resort.

Something for anyone can be found here; seniors and young bridal party members alike.

If your only back-to-school plans consist of buying as many pairs of khakis as possible, preparing lunches with healthier snacks and making it to the bus stop on time, you need to find out how to score a quick getaway to Puerto Rico. Rates at the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino begin at $175 a night.

Good to know: The San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino accepts Marriott Rewards points to redeem. You can earn points here, too.

Let’s face it: nobody needs a specific reason to head to the 50th state. There’s perfect weather all year long and scenic wonders only rivaled by postcards and culinary delights… aloha! No excuses needed for a Hawaiian getaway.

You simply go.

But only in a state of starvation could one fully understand the excitement of a Hawaiian culinary tour. While there are too many to list here, I have selected my favorites… of the favorites!

First you’ll arrive in the Big Island and check into a luxury resort — Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows, for example — for five or six nights. We’re talking 4,000 square feet of heaven here: two bedrooms, two and a half baths, a living and dining area, kitchen, private pool and Jacuzzi. Tropical fish rule the surroundings while you take it all in through a window view of the Pacific coast.

Next, start the following day honing your cooking skills under the supervision of a world-renowned chef. You and other guests will indulge in multiple-course meals made from the freshest local ingredients. The Big Island includes farms loaded with tasty fruits.

Sunset Dinner Cruise and Show on Oahu

You’ll be met with greetings from hula dancers in order to get into a festive mood. (You can never get enough of that traditional Hawaii fanfare… and you haven’t boarded the cruise yet!) Then you’ll cruise the Waikiki coast for two hours while the sun sets over the ocean. Imported and domestic cheeses are among a spread of appetizers. Make room for the five-course dining experience as Hawaiian and Jazz musicians fill your ears with a feast of their own. Did I mention you’ll be a part of the show? It’s interactive, and fun!

Ala Moana Food Tour

Honolulu’s shopping district is enhanced with the Ala Moana Food Tour, where a foodie guide is waiting to share his or her favorite meals with your taste buds. For two and a half hours you will sample several tastings from local establishments. Two words: Go hungry!

Chinatown Food Tour — Oahu

Honolulu’s Chinatown will be presented to you, complete with Asian markets and eateries… for two hours! A knowledgeable tour guide will take you to five restaurants where you’ll enjoy up to seven samples of the best in Vietnamese and Thai food. I see Honolulu cheesecakes on the menu; dessert to end the day of delights? Check.

Talk about paradise to go. Hawaiian foodie excursions are simply a click or two away. And don’t worry; no vacation budget is too small. Not even for the Big Island.